Motor-operated veneer lathe



May 15. 1928.

2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 19 1927 7% J 0 M WW 5% V n m fi. a 1 1 W l 1 u m a .UMH i. i A Q kw vw 3 h- RN .oN WW May 15. 1928;

1,670,076 F. w. MILB OURN MOTOR OPERATED VENEER LATHE Filed April 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 15, 1928.

FRANK TBS w mrmaonniv or .rAINE'svI Ln, 011110; iizssrenoa Tom in 'oo'n irn'ixiureozrua- "me oomrmvyfor PAIINESVJQLLE, ozerro; eonronnrron oF'oH'ro,

3 moron-ornawrnn wanna-Lawns,

rnp lination fi'ledziiprilfw, 'isa'zsrseriaii no; 184 904.

This invention relates to veneer lathes and has for its primary object to elec trifyxthe,

lathewhich resultsin simplicityoi Yoperation and'increased-efliciency.- y

,Another. object of; the inventionis to, provide notore actuated means for the dogging andtai-l spindles so that they-may be rapidly moved into engaging .or-v out of engaging posit-ion with zthelog from which the" veneer iSwtO becut'. f

iAnother objectiof the, invention; istoprovide n'iotorgactuated :means wherebyathe knife carriage can be n'uoved'int o and out of cutting engagement with the log independently ofthe operation ofthe, knife carriage byigthe main drive shaft.

. An-othersobjectof theinvention; is to provide electrical means wlierebwthelknife carriagecannot be actuated by the knife car- I'iHgBUIOtOF operated means when the-said knife carriage .is' being actuated by theinain 'driveshaft. e 1 5.

1 It is a further object of the invention to provide meansincombination' with an electrio switch whereby when said switchisin closed position, the1'-ewill be no driving connectionbetween the main drivenshazft and the knife carriagebut movement of the knife carriage toward orgaway from i'the-log will be controlled by closing I a proper, circuit to thecarriage .feed motor. p "Another ob'ect-of the invention is to provi'de push button switches.mountechuponthe lathe at a location. convenient to the opere atorsdthat the entire. operation of the lathe canfbe controlled from one; point.

f/Withth objects above indicated and other eb jects hereinafter explained .in' view, my invention consists in the construction and combinationoff elements hereinafter deseribedand claimed: g

1. Referring toithe drawings r Fig/1' is a vertical: rear View of, the, lathe or theoperators side of thelathe- Fig. 2 isans end viewot' the doggingend oftheilathe. I r v Fig} 3 is atop plan viewof the tail spindle endlof thelathe showing the position of the spindle motor and the: carriage, feed .-m torl Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan View of the 1 circuit breaker switch. actuated by the clutch lever. r is a [diagram-of the wiringof the independent motors the draw ngs, l0land 11 indicate, re

spec-tively; a pair off standards, triangular-1y shaped; and rot box. construction which are,

. conneoted together :in,spaced vertical zrela tion spacersw12," three being .her'einu shown extending. =fronrt herespectivez-apexes of the standards.

-Each ref-n16 standardsildfland llsuitably.

supports-=21 ipa'ir. of horizontally .:movaibl'e spindles: ;in a. 1 manner to r be hereinarfter' described, the dogging spindle being indicated by. 13 and the-tail spindle-being indicated Icy-114C. As "each of these-spindles: is mounted in the same manner, the descriptionoiii one mounting; Willsuflice for-.both. The front oriog sidebiwthe standards and 11 is provided with a transverse-recess 15" which receives and, supports a, spindle sleeve16,:;the;;1atter zbei-ng clamped loosely" within. the, transverse-:recess .15- by"=caps"17 suitably bolted to the face of the. standards. The spindles 113, and :14 are exteriorly .-screwthreaded, and extendthrough the sleevelld,

the latter being provided; with a depending tonguewor. spline 18. engagoable with a 00- operating groove Ao'r spline .19-exte1iding throughout the length of the spindle. This arrangement permits the spindles 13 and I14 to .be i moved longitudinally in --either direction withinsthesleeve,16 but prevents relative rotation .between the; spindlesmand sle v -q: P J

.To d rrart. movement to v,the .spind-lesa spindle, rivin g sleeve 20 interiorly'screwthreaded engages the screw-threads of the spindle and is 'rotatably mountedawithin a looking member21 which is *suitably'bolted to thef spindleisleeve 1 6. [This spindle driving sleeveQOhas securely mountedupon. its free end a. sprocket zwheel22 and beyond the latter .a'handfwheel23 which when either are .r'otatedisladapted .to. rotate the spindle driving sleeve20 to cause longitudinal movement TOfiltl'l spindle 14. in either fdirection dependingflupon the direction of rotation of the v sprocket. wheeler hand wheel. "It. will, therefore, be .seen that. to'reciprocate the spindles toward or away from each other, or into andout 'oflengagement withthe. log froin whichnthe veneer is;:cut,..the sprocket wheel. 22-orithe hand wheel 23 is-rotated in the-proper directionj L. It should be understood that. separate sprocket wheels are provided .-jfor actuating the doggingspindle l3 and thetail spindle '14 asclearlyshowmin Fig. .1 -a-nd l the spindle driving. sleeve for 3i ,to which 1 itiis connected through. suitable gearing; and clutch -;mechanisrn -.-which will be hereinafter explained.

The end=ofthe shaft 4:9 within the push buttons. convenientto L the hand of the operator, and WhGIILIIlOYQdalO the right, vas

shown :in Fig. 1 the clutch .is disengaged and the carriage can only be movedby depressingthe push button switch 52. When the lever is-movedto the left of :thatshown in Fig. l the sleeveb l is -mov ed' into engagement withfthegear 56 and the carriage is moved inwardly toward the log through a series of gears,-indicated generally by .60,juc-' tuated from the bull ,gear 29 driven from the main drive shaft 31. The gear ratio 60 is selectedso that the carriage 3.7 carrying the knife will bemoved intocutting engagement with the lo giin proportionto the speed at whichthe log is being rotated.

- It-is importantthatthe carriage 39mm be moved/toward andiawayzfrom the log-independently of theflmainndriveshaftand without cuttingotf thejpower'to the main drive shaft.- 'Ihis isaccomplished by the clutcltmechanism including'the sleeve .53 and, gear 56 but: it is essential that means, he provided wherein when the carriage is being movedfrom themain shaft, the pushbntton switch 52 will. not have ,anycefi'ect uponthe motor50 ioivmoving'the carriage and vice versa. i 1

A- 'circuit breaker {switch 61 is therefore mounted upon the standard 11 convenient to the1lever .58 and vhas a .r'novableswitch arm 62 engageable with=the leverwhen the latter is -moved so asto disengage the clutch "as clearly shown in F ig.r1.' This-switch 61 is in series withthe motor 50and push-button switch .52 and whenueng aged by :the lever,

the switch is closed thereby rendering the motor operative upon depression of either of the v.pushllouttons of the switch .52. Il Vhen the lever is moved to thele-ft so asto-move the sleeve .53 into engagement withthe gear 56 to cause the carriagerto be moved by the power of the maindrive shaft 31 thesw tch arm ,62' is :moved outward-1y by All {spring within theswitch .61 which-opens the circuit to the motor 50 thereby rendering the latter inoperative .iniwhich condition :it remains until thelever isvagaln moved-intoiengagementiwith the switch arm 62. The lever 58 is maintained .in switch engaging position byaa recess 63 provided inaloracketfiibolted to the standardll and which: also supp rts the switch'fil. m f

{In the wiring. diagram shown in vFig. .:.5, the circuits 1501' the J dogging spindle motor and the carri age feed, motorare shown but beca-use'the circuit for! theitail spindle motor isnidentical with the circuitfor thedogging spindle rmotor and independent thereof, it 1 is notbel-ieved necessary to illustrate and. ex.- plain this circuit sepatatelvsas theiexplana tion of the ndogging spindle, motor-circuit The dogging spindle motor 36 hus .three conductor wiresfil, 65and66suitably connected thereto and leading, therefroi'n to a I plurality. of contact fingers, Aitriple knife switch 67 nor'nially biased .-towards;open cir cuit position has its. terminals connected :to

conductor wires 68, 6,9 and 70;;thewires 68 i and 70. being connected to one-side oiwthe mainline while'the wire 69 is connected to the other side otthe main line; Thes'witch 67 is moved to closedcircuit position by energizing a solenoid 71 whichmas one terminal connected by a wire 72'to the-conductor one direction and thewcircuit isclosed by depressing the, out push .b'utton ofithe switch 38. A To reverse the direction'of rotation of. the motor 36, thewiresz75p76l ianda'il; are

suitably connected as shown in Fig. 5, to the conductor wires :66, R64 and -65,- respectively, and to a plurality -.of contact vfingers. A triple-knife switch 7 8 is normally biased toward open circuit;positionandthe terminals are eonnectedby-wires 79,, and: 81 to the conductor wires 70, 69 and 68,;respectivee 1y. The, switch 78 is I moved ,into closed i circuitposition by energizing of solenoid 82 having oneterminal connectediby a Wire to the inTpush-button of the switch 38 while the other terminal is connected :by a wire 84: to the wire 69 leading -to theimain line. The in? push button-isconnectedto the returnwire 74: andlthis completes the circuiti'or reversing the motor. I

The wiring for the circuit of the acarriage feed motor is also the sameasthe wiringot the dogging spindlezmotor with one exceptionandit is, therefore, believed that explanation .of this wiring is unnecessary except as to the change. ,7

As heretoforedescribed, a circuit breaker switch 61 is employed-for -,controll-ing the circuit of the; carriage feed-motor-so 1 that the knife carriage 39 cannot be :moved ithereby ineither, direction solong as it tis connected through thefigear mechanism with thelmain drive shaft 31. a

The 'returnwire 74 as shown in the wir-' ing diagram-for the dogging spindle motor 36 is not connectedby a common lreturn to the wire'70leadingtothe main line but instead is connected to one terminal ofthe cir cuit breaker switchfil. -A'wire 85 is con nected to the other terminal of the ci-rcuit breaker switch Gland to aterminal of in and out buttons of the push button switch 52 which controls the direction of rotation of the. carriage'feed motor -and as long as the lever 58 is in engagement with the arm 62015 the circuit breaker switch'61, the motor 50 can 'be actuated by depressing either the in? or out button depending upon the desired direction-of movement ofthe car'- riagelfHowever, whenthe lever is moved out of engagement with the circuit breaker arm 62, the circuitis opened 'and the motor cannot,'be actuated by eitliei-"of tlie'push buttons of thes'witch 52. I

:end of the log for'securing the same between the spindles, 'meansffor supporting said spindles, and independently operated motors for actuating saidtail=spindle and-said dogging spindle. I I i i 2(In a veneer lathe, a tail-spindleadapted to be moved-into engagement with the end of a log, a dogging spindle' ad'ap'ted to be moved into engagement with the opposite endof the log for securing the same between the spindles, means for-supportingsaid spindles, independently operated motors for actuating said tail: and dogging spindles, and controlling means for said motors mounted-upon the baek'of thelathe."

3. In aveneer lathe, a tail spindle adapt-1 ed to be moved into engagementwith the end of a log, dogging spindle adapted to-be' moved'into engagement with the oppos te end of the log for securing the saine'between I the spindles, means for supporting sa-idspindles,independently operated-motors for actuating said 'tails'pindle' and said dogging spindle, controlling HieaTlS-fOI"Su1d 1IIOtOIS, a

knife carriage adapted-to'be moved toward and away. from said tail spindle and said dogging spindle, and an independently operatedmotor for actuating said carriage. I

4'. In a veneer lathe, a tail spindle adapted to be moved into engagement with the end of a log', a dogging spindle adapted-to be moved into engagement with the opposite end of the log for securing the same between the-spindles, means 'for supporting said spin dles, independently operated motors for 210+ tuating said tail spindle .and'said dogging spindlefa knife carriage adapted to be moved toward' and'away from said tail spindle and said dogging spindle, anindepend ently operated motor for actuatingsa-idcarriage, and controlling means for each motor mounted upon theback o'f-the lathe. p

5. In a veneer lathe, a tail spindle and a dogging spindle'ad'apted"to-be moved to ward and away from eachother and adapted to support a log therebetween, independently operatedmotorsfor actuating said tail spindle and said dogging spindle, means for rotating said-tail spindle and said dog ging spindle in unison, a knife carriage adapted to be moved toward said t'ail spin-I dle andsaid dogging spindleby the last mentioned: means, means for actuating said carriage from the last mentioned means, a clutch for disengaging the carriage actuating means, and an independently operated motor lor reciprocating theliniie carriage when said clutch is 'disengagedu 6. In a veneer lathe, "a tail' spindle and'a dogging spindle adapted-to be moved toward and away from each other'and to sup portaulog tliei'ebetween, independently op erated motors for actuating said tailspindle and said dogging. spindle, means for 1'0 tating said tail spindle and saiddogging,' spindle in unison,' a-knife carriage adapted to be moved toward said tail spindle and said dogging spindlenb'y the last mentioned means, means for actuating said carriage from the last mentioned means, a clutch for disengaging the carriage actuating #means, an independently. operated motorl for re ciprocating the vknife carriage when'said clutch is disengaged,and means: actuated by the clutch for preventing operation of th'e,

carriage motor when said clutch is in engaged position'with thecarriage actuating means. v q I M 1 7. In a, veneer lathe, ado'gging spindle,a tail spindle, independent 5 motor "operated means for moving said spindles towards and away from each other, a main drive shaft, means for rotating said spindles in unison by said main drive shaft, a knifecarriage,

gear mechanism between said carriage and said main 'drive'shaft for moving the former towards said spindles, a clutch: forxdisen,

gaging said carriage from said main drive shaft for moving the former 'tOWal'dSSEUd spindles, :a clutch for disengagingsaid car riage from sa d main'drive shatt, and 21111I1.

dependent motor for reciprocatingfsaid earriage when said clutch is'in disengaged. position." W

8. In a veneer lat-he, a maindrive-shaft, a

pair of logengaging spindlesconsisting oi] a-tail spindle and a dogging spindle adapted to" be rotated in unison. from said main drive shaft, means for moving said log engaging spindles into and out of log engaging position, independent motors for actuating said last mentioned means, control means for each of said motors, a knife carriage adapted to be moved into cutting engagement with the log supported bet-ween'said log engaging spindles and driven from said main drive shaft, a clutch for disengaging said main drive shaft from said carriage, an independent motor for reciprocating said carriage when said clutch is in disengaged position, means actuated by said clutch when in disengaged positionffor permitting movement of said carriage by said motor,

and control means for said motor.

9. In a, veneer lathe, a main drive shaft. a

I pair of log engaging spindles including a tail spindle and a dogging spindle adapted to be rotated in unison from said main drive shaft, means for moving said log engaging spindles into and out of log engagingposition, independent motors for actuating said last mentioned means, control means for each of said motors,-a knife carriage adapt- 1" ed to be moved into cutting engagement with thelog supported between said log engaging spindles and driven from said main drive shaft, a clutch for disengaging said main drive shaft from saidcarriage, an independent motor for reciprocating said carriage Whensaid clutch is in disengaged position, and means for preventing movement of said carriage by said motor when said clutch is in engaged position. a

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRANK w.- MILBOURNL 

